School construction under way

CHICOPEE - With construction crews at work behind him, Mayor Richard R. Goyette yesterday heralded a new $91 million Chicopee Comprehensive High School as the city's pledge for educational excellence for future generations.

Goyette gave the welcoming address at a formal groundbreaking ceremony at the site - next to the present school - and thanked the Board of Aldermen, the School Committee, the legislative delegation, invited guests and residents.

"Without your hard work and support, a project like this would never have been possible. This $91 million dollar building is a testament to the city's commitment to our children and to the future generations of our great city."

The ceremony for a second new city high school comes less than a year after the new $52 million Chicopee High School opened its doors on Front Street.

The mayor said "This new 325,000-square-foot facility will offer career and technical education, which will include automotive technology, CAD/CAM (Computer Aided Drafting and Computer Aided Manufacture), carpentry, electronics, electrical, culinary arts, landscape and horticulture, machine technology, metal fabrication and welding and a state of the art telecommunications center.

"With the multiple education avenues that this building will provide, our students will have the opportunity to achieve well beyond our already high expectations," the mayor said.

"I wish to welcome you to the future of education, to the dawn of great things to come. Today, we take the first step in living the dreams of tomorrow. What we do now as a city for our children will have a lasting effect on the city of Chicopee for many years to come," Goyette said.

Before the ceremony, the mayor told The Republican a 90 percent state reimbursement has been guaranteed to the city for the first $72 million cap of the $91 million school.

"The bottom line is financially, the city can handle the additional costs," whether the city uses some of its reserves or borrows or both, said Goyette.

City Treasurer Ernest LaFlamme agreed with the mayor, noting the city is in excellent financial shape.

Last week, State Treasurer Timothy P. Cahill said the state originally agreed to pay 90 percent of school costs up to $61 million and raised that to $72 million to fund site improvements, a swimming pool and inflation increases. He said there is no way the cap will be raised again.

Goyette repeated yesterday his administration will continue to lobby state legislators and officials to increase the $72 million cap.

Aldermen this year approved borrowing $91 million, or an additional $17 million.

Chicopee Comprehensive High School Principal Stanley F. Kozikowski was emcee yesterday, and Msgr. Leo A. LeClerc, pastor at St. Rose de Lima, gave the invocation.

Other speakers included Acting Superintendent of Schools Richard J. Cunningham, Henry Lenart, chairman of the Building Commission, state Sen. Michael J. Knapik, R-Westfield, state Rep. Joseph F. Wagner, D-Chicopee, state Sen. Stephen J. Buoniconti, D-West Springfield, state Rep. James T. Welch, D-West Springfield and Ashley Chapdelaine, a member of the Class of 2005 and the National Honor Society.